Salamis cacta cacta
 
Salamis cacta, the lilac mother-of-pearl or lilac beauty, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The habitat consists of forests, including disturbed forest habitats. It has a wingspan of 2.5” to 3”
Adults usually fly in the forest canopy, but may descend to suck at damp patches or to settle in the undergrowth. Occasionally, individuals may join migrations of other species. Adults are on wing year round.
The larvae feed on Urera hypselodendron, Urera trinervis, and Urera occidentalis. This is a beautiful butterfly with amazing purple luster, especially at some angles. The variable underside shows a lifelike leaf camouflage.
There are at least three species in Salamis genus, wherein Salamis cacta is widespread, and the others are species endemic to Indian Ocean islands.